AL Central: It should be a wide-open race

Daily Press

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL CLEVELAND INDIANS (81-81, 3rd)MANAGER: Eric Wedge (7th season)PAYROLL: $80 millionX-FACTOR: Matt LaPorta, the key piece in last summer's CC Sabathia deal, could be up early in the year to claim left field. BEST CASE: Carl Pavano, freed of the media spotlight of New York, reverts to the 18-win form he showed as a Marlin in 2004. Getting Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez back from injury puts the offense in overdrive. Kerry Wood gives them their best power closer since Jose Mesa in the mid-90s. WORST CASE: The rotation struggles after the top two spots. Wood's star-crossed career includes another injury-marred season. A schedule that has them playing 27 of their first 45 games on the road puts them in an early hole. LINEUPCF Grady Sizemore3B Mark DeRosaC Victor MartinezDH Travis HafnerSS Jhonny PeraltaRF Shin-Soo Choo1B Ryan Garko LF Ben Francisco2B Asdrubal CabreraROTATIONLHP Cliff LeeRHP Fausto CarmonaRHP Carl PavanoRHP Anthony ReyesLHP Scott Lewis BULLPENCL Kerry WoodRHP Rafael BetancourtLHP Rafael Perez

DETROIT TIGERS (74-88, 5th)MANAGER: Jim Leyland (4th season)PAYROLL: $127 millionX-FACTOR: RHP Rick Porcello, 20, received the Josh Beckett contract out of a New Jersey high school and has the hype to match. BEST CASE: New closer Brandon Lyon successfully replaces the retired Todd Jones despite recording just one season of more than 14 saves. A deep lineup challenges the 900-run mark the way it was supposed to a year ago. Jim Leyland steers them back into the postseason for the first time since losing the '06 World Series. WORST CASE: Dontrelle Willis never makes it back from anxiety disorder and essentially wastes another year of his fading career. Post-WBC fatigue causes slow starts for the quartet of Tigers who reached the semifinals. Last year wasn't as much of an aberration as most thought. LINEUPCF Curtis Granderson2B Placido PolancoRF Magglio Ordonez1B Miguel CabreraLF Carlos GuillenDH Marcus ThamesC Gerald Laird3B Brandon IngeSS Adam EverettROTATIONRHP Justin VerlanderRHP Edwin Jackson RHP Armando GalarragaRHP Jeremy BondermanLHP Rick PorcelloBULLPENCL Brandon Lyon RHP Fernando Rodney LHP Bobby Seay

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (89-74, 1st)MANAGER: Ozzie Guillen (6th season)PAYROLL: $98 millionX-FACTOR: Ozzie Guillen has replaced Lou Piniella as the most combustible skipper in the game. His reaction to wins, losses and just about anything else shapes entire news cycles in the Windy City. BEST CASE: The top of the lineup gets on base enough to keep them in the top five in AL runs. They lead the majors in homers again while keeping their strikeouts within reason. Experience trumps youth in a highly competitive division. WORST CASE: Paul Konerko's slugging and on-base numbers decline for a third straight season. Anything happens to Carlos Quentin, whose injury absence last September changed the course of their season. Jose Contreras, coming off a torn Achilles, sees his strikeout total drop for a fourth straight season at age 37 (wink, wink). LINEUPCF Dewayne Wise2B Chris GetzLF Carlos QuentinRF Jermaine DyeDH Jim Thome1B Paul KonerkoC A.J. PierzynskiSS Alexei Ramirez3B Josh FieldsROTATIONLHP Mark Buehrle

MINNESOTA TWINS (88-75, 2nd)MANAGER: Ron Gardenhire (8th season)PAYROLL: $62 million X-FACTOR: Young lefty Francisco Liriano could be Johan Santana Lite if he could just stay healthy for a full season.BEST CASE: Joe Crede's back cooperates and he gives them another much-needed power bat. Team Piranha gnaws its opponents into submission as usual. Ron Gardenhire guides them back into the playoffs for the fifth time in eight years after missing out in a playoff last season. WORST CASE: Joe Mauer's back problems slow him all season, robbing the lineup of a vital cog. The speedsters at the top don't get on base nearly enough to keep the offense humming. The rotation turns out to be just a collection of Nos. 3 and 4 starters, lacking that one big horse at the top. LINEUPCF Denard Span2B Alexi CasillaC Joe Mauer1B Justin Morneau3B Michael CuddyerDH Jason Kubel3B Joe CredeLF Delmon YoungSS Nick PuntoROTATIONRHP Scott BakerLHP Francisco LirianoRHP Kevin SloweyLHP Glen PerkinsRHP Nick BlackburnBULLPENRHP Joe Nathan RHP Jesse CrainRHP Luis Ayala

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (75-87, 4th)MANAGER: Trey Hillman (2nd season)PAYROLL: $74 million X-FACTOR: 3B Alex Gordon has been compared to a young George Brett, but he's still looking for that breakout season. BEST CASE: Another round of offseason additions allows them to improve their win total for a fourth straight year. Coco Crisp, finally out of Boston, tightens up the defense and starts hitting again. The young pitching starts to fall into place behind Gil Meche and they challenge for a playoff spot. WORST CASE: Adding all-or-nothing Mike Jacobs to a lineup coming off a .320 on-base percentage doesn't exactly help matters. Anything happens to Meche, placing too much pressure on the kids. Make it 24 years and counting since their last postseason trip. LINEUPCF Coco CrispSS Mike AvilesLF David DeJesusRF Jose Guillen1B Mike JacobsDH Billy Butler3B Alex Gordon C Miguel Olivo2B Willie BloomquistROTATIONRHP Gil MecheRHP Zack GreinkeRHP Kyle DaviesRHP Luke HochevarRHP Brian BannisterBULLPENCL Joakim SoriaRHP Juan CruzRHP Kyle Farnsworth